Leading Australian small-ship cruise lines Coral Princess Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises have announced plans to join forces to further the growth of their Great Barrier Reef cruise divisions. The partnership will ensure the ongoing growth of both companies and provide unique opportunities to improve business efficiencies.

Both companies are excited by the new opportunities this partnership will provide. Both Australian family-owned companies, they share common philosophies and existing cruise itineraries.

The opportunity to consolidate both companies' Great Barrier Reef cruise operations has progressed joint plans for the design of a new, state-of-the-art, purpose-built small-ship to operate their schedule of three, four and seven-night Great Barrier Reef cruises.

Whilst planning for the new luxury vessel continues, both companies will operate schedules utilising Coral Princess's fleet of small-ships. Captain Cook's Reef Endeavour is to be sold following its final Great Barrier Reef cruise on February 22, 2008.

Coral Princess Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises look forward to further developing this exciting partnership into the future.

Coral Princess Cruises also operates expedition and adventure cruises to the Kimberley, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Melanesia and New Zealand.

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji and Murray three, four and seven-night itineraries and two-night Sydney Harbour itinerary will remain un-affected and continue as scheduled.

Monday, January 28, 2008

The majestic Kimberley is one of the world’s last great wilderness regions. This pristine area rich in culture, heritage and biodiversity is Australia’s last untouched frontier. Home too many endangered species the Kimberley wilderness is a virtual Noah’s Ark, a shielded system that is much as it was from the beginning of time. Humpback whales, turtles, Dugongs, the Golden Back Tree Rat let alone the many other species of flora and fauna that are yet to be discovered. Can you believe that this World class treasure is under threat?"

True North at anchor off Pearson Island in the seldom-visited Investigator Group (photo: Roderick Eime)

For immediate release: 26 January 2008

North Star Cruises’ Inaugural Southern Safari a Hit

Broome-based North Star Cruises is delighted at the passenger reaction to the recently completed Southern Safari adventure cruise in the waters off Adelaide, South Australia.

“We’ve been coming this way for several years now on our way back from Sydney,” said Craig Howson, managing director of North Star Cruises, “and we thought it was about time we made a proper exploration of the wonderful beaches, fishing and attractions down here.”

Passengers aboard the 740 tonne, 50m luxury expedition vessel True North enjoyed relaxing wine tasting in McLaren Vale, stunning sightseeing on Kangaroo Island and the Eyre Peninsula, sensational fishing for SA’s famous King George Whiting and an exhilarating cage dive with great white sharks off Port Lincoln. The busy 8-night itinerary retraced and revisited many of the sites first explored by Mathew Flinders in 1802 including the pristine Investigator Group.

The journey began in Adelaide on January 17th and finished in Streaky Bay on the 25th, with guests transferring back to Adelaide by commercial flight.

“We’ll make a few small refinements to the itinerary for next year, but otherwise we’re happy with the product and, most importantly, the passengers are too,” said Howson.

“Putting the whole package together was made much easier by the welcome and enthusiastic cooperation we received from all levels of government here in South Australia and we extend our thanks and congratulations to the many departments and individuals who went out of their way to ensure the smooth running of our first Southern Safari. Thank you South Australia.”

The Southern Safari will now be a regular annual offering in multi-award winning North Star Cruises’ expanding catalogue of adventure itineraries that include Adventures in Paradise (PNG), Over the Top (NT and Qld) and their acclaimed signature product, the Kimberley Wilderness Cruise (WA).

Bookings for the 2009 Southern Safari begin immediately with the new itinerary and dates available shortly.

The recipient of numerous state and national adventure tourism awards and with over twenty years operational experience, North Star Cruises and their purpose-built expedition vessel, the 740 tonne, 36-passenger True North, specialise in enriching nature and culture based cruise tours in a luxurious, yet laid-back style with an unmistakably Australian flavour.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Adventure and Expedition Cruising is the fastest growing area of the already burgeoning cruise market. In fact some would say it’s not cruising at all, rather adventure by ship.

As such, we at Cruise Passenger Magazine recognise that this very special form of experiential travel now requires its own magazine. An expert, specialist publication devoted to the unique needs of the ship and tour operators that clearly sets it apart from the traditional large ship product.

The magazine will be produced by the regular Cruise Passenger Magazine team, with the addition of Roderick Eime as guest editor. A regular contributor to Cruise Passenger, Rod is a confirmed adventure cruiser, having travelled to both the Antarctic and Arctic, Galapagos, Amazon, Melanesia, New Zealand and more aboard everything from motorised dugouts to icebreakers.

Readers will expand their horizons with new destinations and itineraries to keep their passion alive as well as investigate new ships that will take them there.

From the frozen reaches of the North Pole to the furthest Antarctic extremes and everything in between, Cruise Passenger Magazine’s Essential Adventure and Expedition Cruising Guide will be the definitive reference for the new wave of modern seaborne adventurers.

Advertisers will be offered a potent blend of editorial and advertorial allowing them to highlight their product in the most favourable light. Editorial will highlight the exciting new destinations only adventure cruising can deliver plus explain for the first time traveller what to expect, how to pack and why adventure cruising will introduce them to a whole new world of life enriching experiences.

The list of destinations will include the must-do’s of Antarctica, Russian Far East, Papua New Guinea, The Kimberleys, Melanesia, the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon, Alaska, the Galapagos and much more.

Committed adventure cruiser, Roderick Eime, shares some insight on one of the fastest growing travel sectors.

Flick through the pages of any magazine or newspaper and you’re confronted with an overflowing smorgasbord of cruise travel possibilities. If this explosion of romantic ocean-going itineraries leads you to think cruise travel is on the up, then you are right. Cruising is on a rocket. But look closer and you’ll find, sometimes tacked on the end of a larger ad, adventure possibilities you may never have dreamed of.

Sure, everybody knows the irresistible, fairytale allure of the South Pacific, Caribbean and Mediterranean, but what about the frozen reaches of the Antarctic, the wilds of the Kimberley or the tiny atolls of Melanesia? Within this huge category of ‘cruising’ there exists a sometimes overlooked subset generally referred to as “adventure and expedition cruising”.

Once almost a secret society among wealthy adventurers and well-heeled thrillseekers, this type of travel has ignited the imagination of those looking beyond regular, packaged products. Travel marketers and advertising pundits are calling this emerging genre “experiential and transformational” travel where the journey is all about delivering uplifting and life-changing experiences.

Ships plying these waters can vary enormously too. They range from luxury pocket cruise-liners, replete with every creature comfort and a “quick response” crew ready to fulfill your every whim, through to refurbished ex-Soviet spy vessels. These Russian vessels are the ones largely responsible for opening up the frozen extremes of our planet and include mighty icebreakers and hardy oceanographic ships built to operate in the most challenging conditions.

At the softer end, vessels like the Australian-based Orion and Oceanic Discoverer, world-travelling Seadream I and II and Seabourne are examples of ships constructed to deliver a high, even opulent, level of luxury and still retain the flexibility and versatility of an expedition yacht. Orion, for example, not only cruises the rich tropical backwaters of PNG and the Kimberley, but ventures to the most remote reaches of Antarctica, well below the ‘circle’ and into the exclusive realm of Emperor Penguins and historic explorers.